


Peanut Swells

by SilverLynxx



Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Barnum is a Good Dad, Christmas Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Feel-good fluff, Lynxx Needs Her Christmas Fix, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Part Two, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-19 11:18:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17000595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverLynxx/pseuds/SilverLynxx
Summary: Barnum hushed soothingly and wiped her cheeks with his thumbs, letting her find the words stuck behind her trembling lower lip. “They said I smell like peanuts.”





	Peanut Swells

**Author's Note:**

> This was written on a whim the other evening because I couldn't get the image of PT telling Helen she smelt like the giantest peanut out my head....it makes sense in context, I swear.
> 
> Many thanks to [@Schizanthus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schizanthus) for putting up with the nonsense I drop on her without warning and betaing it anyway so it's presentable.

Winter fell over New York in a two foot blanket of snow, stretching from the very heart of the city out into the countryside to coat the fields and sprawling estates. With it came the excitement of Christmas; the promise of playful days in the snow, rich food, brightly wrapped gifts, fires warming frosted windows, and decorations strung up throughout peoples’ homes.  

The Barnum manor was in no less a festive state.

Hanging the last of the fir garlands, their woven boughs decorated with acorns and baubles, Barnum turned with his hands on his hips and proudly took in the grand reception hall brimming with festal extravagance.

Garlands, wreaths, and holly sprigs had been artfully scattered around the room with two tall Christmas trees, bedecked in tinsel and ornaments and ribbon, sitting at either end. Helen, in her vibrant berry-red dress, laughed and cartwheeled across the tiled floor.

“Look, daddy, look!” she beseeched, and Barnum watched with an indulgent smile as she spun in a zealous pirouette, lacking the finesse but not the enthusiasm of her elder sister.

“Looks like we have another prima ballerina in the making.”

Barnum turned to find Phillip leaning against the door frame, having emerged from the study. He now regarded father and daughter with a softly fond expression.

“No, I’m going to dance in the _circus,”_ Helen corrected matter-of-factly, and Phillip’s eyebrows raised with his grin.

“Well then, I offer my sincerest apologies. We would be honoured to have such an exemplary dancer perform in our show,” he amended solemnly, giving a minute bow at the waist. Helen giggled in shy delight at the compliment, and Phillip straightened when Barnum cleared his throat with a smirk.

“When you’re done charming my daughter from me, Lothario...” Barnum crooned, approaching the younger man and only stopping when their chests brushed and Phillip had to tilt his head back to look him in the eye.

“Does that make you my Camilla?” Phillip enquired innocently. His tone was teasing, but heat warmed the underbelly of his words and Barnum dipped his head in response, hands coming up to cup Phillip’s jaw. 

“I may allow that if you ask nicely,” Barnum replied with a devilish glint to his eye before kissing him, muffling Phillip’s huff of laughter with his lips. Phillip hummed into the kiss, eyes closing in contentment as Barnum drew him closer, his hands big and warm on Phillip’s arms where they come to rest.

“Ew! Daddy, Flip, no!” Helen squealed, turning away from the affectionate display with her face scrunched up in childlike displeasure.

The men parted with more laughter and Barnum proceeded to pepper Phillip’s face with progressively sloppier kisses until he tried to squirm away with an affronted noise. Helen ran to tug on her father’s waistcoat in defense of Phillip’s honour, yelling out a series of ‘no daddy, no!’s in protest.

The front door opened, curtailing their horseplay.

“Caroline,” Barnum greeted his eldest cheerfully, “How was your cla-” his voice tapered at the downtrodden expression on the girl’s face as she closed the door, eyes glistening like the snowflakes caught on her jacket and in her hair.

“Darling…” Barnum separated from Phillip to kneel before the girl and brush her hair back from her winter-pink cheeks. “Caroline, what’s wrong, what happened?”

Caroline sniffled and Barnum’s brow furrowed in concern.

“They were saying things again… being mean to me,” she whispered, looking on the verge of tears. Barnum hushed soothingly and wiped her cheeks with his thumbs, letting her find the words stuck behind her trembling lower lip. “They said I smell like peanuts.”

She sniffled again and Barnum sat back on his heels, his face set in a frown.

“Well...” Barnum glanced at Phillip, the word drawn out, thoughtful and deliberate. Phillip looked on in helpless silence, meeting Barnum’s gaze with his own troubled one as he kept Helen at his side, the girl pressed against his leg as he stroked her hair comfortingly. The spark of an idea caught in Barnum’s eye and he turned back to his eldest daughter, his lips curling with the start of a rascally grin.

“I think I need to determine that for myself,” he declared, and before Caroline could so much as wipe her eyes and frown quizzically at her father, Barnum had swept her off her feet and into the air with a playful roar.

Caroline squealed in surprise as Barnum spun them, her open coat flaring out with the momentum. She laughed in protest as the man brought her close and buried his nose into her jumper with an exaggerated sniff. He did it again and again as he spun and bounced her until Caroline’s giggles were breathless and she tried to push his head away.

Barnum finally stopped, his face plastered with a broad grin. He inhaled a deep composing breath and fought to curb the worst of his frivolity. “I concur, you smell like peanuts,” he said, managing to inflect a grave tone despite his terribly illegitimate expression which twitched and wavered with humour. _“But,”_ he added, before Caroline’s wet smile could fall even a fraction. He plucked at the shoulder of his waistcoat and gave it another ludicrously loud sniff, his nose wrinkling. He raised his eyebrows at Caroline and indicated with a conspicuous nod. With a hopeful look she leant in and obediently sniffed the fabric too, dainty and shy.

“Peanuts,” Barnum announced, as if he were delivering news of a terminal condition; Caroline giggled and her smile brightened a little further. Barnum then cast his gaze onto Phillip. The younger man, who had been naively smiling along with the antics, froze.

“Don’t you dare,” Phillip said in light threat, but Barnum had already crossed the room in several long strides. Both he and Caroline were upon him as Helen sought to use Phillip as a human shield, clinging to his leg and squealing as Barnum wrangled his partner with his free arm. He managed to bury his nose into Phillip’s chest and inhale deeply, then Barnum moved up to his collarbone with another long loud sniff, and further until-

“BARNUM!”

The girls shrieked in helpless laughter as Phillip swatted the elder man from his armpit with an offended huff, the stern line of his mouth twitching at the corners. Barnum’s deep laughter echoed around the spacious hall and he stage-whispered damningly _“Peanuts”_ into Caroline’s ear.

Caroline, eyes now wet with something distinctly more joyous, leant out of her father’s grasp and threw her arms around Phillip’s neck, prompting Barnum to adapt quickly to the sudden transfer. He situated her on his partner’s hip until Phillip had a secure hold, then released her fully into Phillip’s care. If Phillip was surprised by his new charge he didn’t show it, he simply held her to him in a protective embrace.

Barnum stroked her hair, his voice gentle but earnest. “Don’t let those girls upset you. I think the smell of peanuts is the best smell in the world, do you know why?”

Caroline shook her head, quiet and curious, and Barnum smiled.

“It makes me think of the circus, and Phillip, and of you - my two best girls. It makes me think of my family and everything that makes me happy.”

He spoke with such conviction it was impossible to doubt Barnum’s sincerity, and Phillip had to clear a sudden thickness from his throat. After trying to subtly blink the moisture from his eyes, he knew he’d been caught when Barnum flashed him a small knowing smile.

“Daddy, daddy,” Helen whispered loudly, and Barnum’s attention fell to the youngest who had detached herself from Phillip’s leg. “Do I smell like a peanut too?”

“Well, there’s only one way to see, isn’t there?”

The hall was once again filled with childish laughter as Barnum swept Helen off her feet and into a familiar pirouetting routine across the floor, accompanied by more exaggerated sniffing.

Phillip shook his head fondly and glanced at Caroline as he felt her delicate fingers bunch in his shirt. “What are you thinking?” he asked quietly, prompted by Caroline’s look of deep contemplation.

She didn’t respond right away, but after a moment seemed to come to a conclusion as she watched her father and sister make quite the sight in the hall.

“You, my dear, smell like the _giantest_ peanut,” they heard Barnum declare to Helen’s delighted cheers, and Caroline smiled.

“I don’t think smelling like peanuts is a bad thing,” she murmured at last, resting her head against Phillip’s. Phillip smiled too, turning to watch Barnum and Helen who had now come to a breathless giggling stop in the middle of the decorated hall.

“Yeah, I don’t think so either,” he agreed.

**Author's Note:**

> While the idea was spontaneous, I _had_ decided I wanted to experiment with writing a fic in past tense (which I haven't done in well over 4 years) and this seemed like a good opportunity. It was surprisingly challenging, so additional thanks to Schiz for dealing with that too! 
> 
> I would be keen to know if you guys noticed any difference in the quality/enjoyment of this fic compared to my previous ones (:
> 
> If you liked the fic or have any thoughts on it, comments are greatly appreciated <33


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